Roll mechanism.



No. 708,999. Patented Sept. 16, I902.

C. H. DAVIS.

ROLL MECHANISM.

(Application filed Sept. 9, 1901.]

(No Model.)

W| NESSES: INVENTOR 4 4 jwflfiw 4L4. ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. DAVIS, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y.

ROLL MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 708,999, dated September 16, 1902.

Application filed September 9, 1901. Serial No. 74,788. (No model.)

To all who/net may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. DAVIS, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Roll Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to roll mechanisms for pneumatically-operated musical instruments in which a perforated sheet or roll is used to control the action of the keys or notes.

The object of myinvention is to provide a means whereby as the perforated sheet or roll is being unwound from the music-roll during the playing of the instrument a resistance is applied to the music-roll to prevent its running ahead and to maintain a certain tension in the perforated sheet and whereby during the rewinding of the music-roll the said resistance is automatically withdrawn.

My invention consists in mountinga brakewheel upon the music-roll shaft and in providing a pneumatically-con trolled brake-shoe adapted to engage the brake-wheel while the perforated sheet is being unwound from the music-roll and the instrument is being played and in providing a means for automatically disengaging the brake-shoe from the brakewheel while the m usic-roll is being rewound.

lhere are two classes of pneumatically-controlled self-playing musical instruments to which my invention is applicable which differ from each other in that in one class the keys of the instrument are actuated by air under pressurethat is, pressure above atmospheric pressurewhile in the second case the keys are actuated through the instrumentality of a partial vacuum or pressure below atmospheric pressure. In the application of my invention shown in the drawings the former of these classes is particularly illustrated. It will, however, be apparent to those skilled in the art that it is equally applicable to the latter class as well.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a horizontal section on line a a. of Fig. 2, representing a pneumatically tight box or case and the music-roll mechanism operating therein.

Fig. 2 is a section on line b b of Fig. 1.

The reference characters are used in the same sense in both figures.

Numeral 1 represents a box or case which incloses the music-roll mechanism.

2 represents music-roll on which the perforated sheet 3 is wound in the usual manner.

4 represents the music-roll-driving shaft, which engages the end of the spindle 5 of the music-roll.

6 represents a pulley secured to the shaft 4, driven by the belt 7 in any convenient man- 8 represents the brake-wheel, also secured to the shaft 4..

9 represents the bearings in which the driving-shaft 4 is journaled.

10 represents the lever, which is connected by the pivot 11 to the bracket 12, said bracket being secured to the base of box 1.

13 represents a brake-shoe secured to the lever l0,which is adapted to engage the brakewheel 8.

14 is a small bellows or pneumatic secured to the wall of the case 1 and communicating therewith through the port or opening 15.

16.1-epresents a rod connecting the pneumatic 1a with the brake-lever 10.

17 represents a spring acting upon the back of a pneumatic, tending to close it and release the brake from the brake-wheel.

18 represents the take-up roll, on which the perforated sheet is wound from the musicroll during the playing of the instrument.

' 19 represents the tracker-board, which is provided with a series of ports which register with the perforation of the music-roll, said ports leading, by means of suitable ducts or pipes, to the pneumatics which operate the keys in a manner that is well understood.

In the instrument illustrated and described herein during the playing of the instrument air under pressure is maintained in the case 1. This air-pressureis communicated through the port 15 to the pneumatic let, thereby through connections between the pneumatic and the brake-shoe causing the brake-shoe to press against the brake-wheel S. Then the air-pressure is released from the case 1, to rewind the perforated sheet upon the musicroll the pressure will be simultaneously released from the pneumatic 14c and the spring 17 will cause the brake-shoe 13 to be released from the brake-wheel. The wind-pressure is supplied to the case 1 by a bellows, there being a valved connection between the bellows and the case 1. When itis desired to rewind the perforated sheet or to cease playing the instrumen t, the valve controlling the connection between the bellows and the case is closed, and the pressure either above or below the atmospheric pressure in the case is released in a manner that is well understood.

In the case of the second class of instruments referred to-thatis, those in which instead of using air under pressure in the case 1 to actuate the keys air is exhausted from the ducts leading to the tracker-board-the pneumatic 1st is then simply reversed, and instead of having a port connecting it with the case 1 it may be connected with the exhaust bellows or chamber.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a music-roll mechanism, for pneumatically-actuated musical instruments, the combination with the music-roll of a brakewheel driven by said1nusic-roll, a brake-shoe, adapted to engage said brake-wheel and a pneumatic actuating said brake-shoe by the I pneumatic pressure which actuates said instrument.

2. In a music-roll mechanism for pneumatically-actuated musical instruments, the combination with the music-roll, of a brakewheel connected with said music-roll, and means for automatically applying frictional resistance to the revolution of said brakewheel during the playing of the instrument.

3. In a music-roll mechanism for pneumatically-actuated musical instruments, the combination with the music-roll, of a brakewheel connected with said music-roll, and means whereby frictional resistance is automatically applied to said brake-wheel during the playing of said instrument and automatically relieved therefrom during the rewinding of the music-roll.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

CHARLES H. DAVIS.

Witnesses:

O. R. J UDD, J. WALTER LANGE. 

